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Archive: ‘pet photography’



Louisa the Standard Poodle! (San Diego, CA)

Wednesday, December 30th, 2015

I have to admit, I thought I wouldn’t have any more photo sessions in 2015… but this one snuck up on me at the last minute, haha! In order to accommodate a tricky military travel schedule (which I totally sympathize with, since Mr. Shamrell used to be in the Navy) I managed to fit Louisa the standard poodle into my schedule this week! She’s a gorgeous dog, with the softest cream coloring and the sweetest disposition. And she even brought her brother, Brutus, for emotional support! Haha, just kidding – he made an appearance in a few photos as well – but since Brutus is the older of the two dogs, he’d already enjoyed a photo session a few years ago, back when they were stationed up in Monterey and he was an “only dog”. So our session, with the focus on Louisa, was intended to make sure neither dog felt there was any favoritism going on! :)  And Louisa wore the spotlight exceptionally well – this pup can pose like a pro! I think Brutus must have briefed her on a few tips beforehand? And honestly, with her sweet eyes, long legs & soft curly fur, it’s hard to take a bad picture of Louisa… so she was an absolute treat to have in front of my lens!

 

Louisa sometimes gets mistaken for a labradoodle, her parents told me… what do you think? Is she clearly a standard poodle, or would you be confused too?

standard poodle cream

 

Louisa has a really interesting personality: she’s brave yet cautious. She’s quick to follow in the footsteps of her brother when investigating new things, deferring to his elder wisdom, but she’s also very cheerful and fun-loving! Not to mention smart, too. (Is this starting to sound like a singles ad?)

standard poodle photo

 

This pair… stop it. Stop it right now. TOO CUTE.

standard poodles

 

Okay, one more… just because those long, poodle legs are gorgeous! I promise I didn’t stretch them out in Photoshop, they really are that long! And don’t you love their amazing colors?

standard poodles legs

 

Thanks for introducing me to your sweet pups, Andrea & Todd! See you after your travels! (And Go Irish!)

 

Dippy, Lulu & Bentley – Rescue Dogs in San Diego, CA

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2015

Well I have to admit, I have a bit of a soft spot for this photo session… because it was my last one of 2015! And what a way to end this incredible year: with three adorable, full-of-personality dogs! This awesome little pack lives with their parents in the Kensington neighborhood of San Diego – just down the street from my studio – and we traveled to three very distinct parts of the city for our photo session! We started in the studio, then headed out to a local park, and then finished up at the beach – but I have to admit, the images from the park are a few of my early favorites as I’ve started to go through all the photos from the day, so their sneak peek is going to be park-exclusive! :)  I’m so excited to introduce you to these wonderful pups – all of whom are rescue dogs in San Diego!

 

This is Dippy, a serious contender for dog-with-the-cutest-name-ever. She enjoys her frisbee (as you can see), treats, and generally playing hard to get… let me tell you, this dog’s affection is hard-earned! She has the funniest “side-eye” look that she gives most people that try to get her attention (including me, and her mom) as if to say, “what are you doing?” I can’t quite put my finger on it, but Dippy seems to have a very keen understanding of what goes on around her… she’s so aware & in the moment!

san diego dog rescue

 

Lulu is a cockapoo – and don’t let her adorable little face fool you, she’s a coyote fighter! That’s right! Her mom told me the most incredible story of how she literally fought off a coyote at a dog park one day! As a result of the incident, her neck isn’t in the best shape anymore, but overall she’s a healthy, happy (and surprisingly fierce!) dog! I didn’t see any of her ferocious spirit, but I did get to witness her beautiful zest for life and sheer contentedness when she’s with her family. Plus, she’s so cute! :)

san diego dog photo session

 

This pointy puppy is Bentley! He’s the youngest one of the bunch, by several years, so he wins the award for Most Energetic Dog of the Day! He was beyond excited to visit the park and especially the beach – and honestly, it’s hard to take a bad photo of his handsome face. What a gorgeous pup… with a silly, ridiculous personality to boot! Bentley basically had me laughing for the entire session… he was always ready to fetch the frisbee one more time!

san diego rescue dog picture

 

Okay, I lied. We’re not park-exclusive anymore. Here’s one beach photo of Dippy’s famous side-eye… just because. :)

san diego beach rescue dog

 

 

Rebecca & Holly, thank you for such a fun afternoon! I hope you’re having a great trip, and I’m excited to see you both again soon!

 

Shayna the Rescued Service Dog! (San Diego, CA)

Friday, November 20th, 2015

Oh my goodness – I’ve been excited about this photo session for a very long time! Shayna is a gorgeous, sweet service dog living in San Diego, CA, and if you can believe it, she’s a rescue dog too! That’s right – a rescued service dog! You certainly don’t meet one of those every day! So I consider it an honor and a joy to know this beautiful girl… she’s gorgeous inside & out, so we knew we’d need to visit some equally gorgeous locations for her photo session, haha! We had a wonderful time walking around Balboa Park and Coronado Beach, and I think Shayna really enjoyed all the extra attention! :)

Shayna is one of those lucky dogs that gets to go to work with her mom – just like my dog Bailey! Shayna’s mom, Karen, is the owner of Interactive Healing, a highly-regarded massage/bodywork/rehabilitation center for both people and dogs! I can tell you from firsthand experience, she does incredible work, and Shayna does a great job of greeting all their clients, haha! If your dog has been getting stiff joints, or not walking quite right, or developing a limp, you’ll find that a visit to Karen & Shayna’s office will be super-informative and well worth your time.

 

Shayna’s a goofball at heart, but she puts on a good “serious face” when you show her a tennis ball! Seriously, when the ball comes out, she does not joke around! We’re talking laser-focus!

rescued service dog

 

Oh my gosh, this pup is beautiful. Just look at that happy smile.

rescued service dog photo

 

By the end of our session, Shayna’s tongue was permanently stuck hanging out of her mouth! Haha – running around the beach with her was so much fun!

rescued service dog san diego

 

 

Karen & Kimmy, I had a fantastic time with you both! Thank you for a ridiculously fun afternoon! :)

 

Penny the Rat Terrier! (Photo Session in San Diego, CA)

Thursday, November 19th, 2015

Oh my goodness, this little pup… she packs a lot of personality into a tiny little body! :)  Penny is a rat terrier, and if you’ve ever met one of these adorable dogs, you know how easy they are to love. Penny is no exception: she’s a total sweetheart, maybe a bit shy at first, and cautious of new things, but absolutely devoted to her mom, her toys, and to hunting small animals! Haha – Penny has the most adorable hobbies! But perhaps what I adore the most about this girl is the way she plays with her toys: she chews and tugs on them, just like most dogs, but then she throws them up in the air! She tosses them to herself! It’s amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dog play with toys the way Penny does… it’s like self-contained fetch! And it’s soooo cute! Her mom, Katie, mentioned that she sometimes feels like Penny would like a brother or sister… but then, watching her play with herself, she realizes that Penny doesn’t need another dog to keep her entertained! So she gets her socialization at the dog park, and that means she gets her mom allllll to herself at home! Haha! :)

 

We started our photo session in the studio, where the backdrops were an interesting new challenge for Penny to overcome.

rat terrier studio picture

 

Luckily, with a bit of distraction from some new favorite toys, Penny made herself right as home!

rat terrier playing

 

Then we headed outside to the park, where Penny kept strict watch for any small critters that might dare to show their face…

rat terrier san diego

 

… but then we went to the BEACH! Where we saw BIRDS! And Penny turned on her rocket boosters!!

rat terrier running

 

Thank you, Katie, for a super-fun afternoon! I can’t wait to show you the rest of our images – especially the ones with you & Penny together! :)

 

 

Mr. Higgins the Yellow Lab! (La Jolla/Del Mar Pet Photography)

Tuesday, November 10th, 2015

I can’t really describe it, I can’t put my finger on it… but I can tell you this: some sessions are really special. :)

Maybe it was because Mr. Higgins (the handsome yellow lab and star of the show!) was already experienced at posing for the camera! This wasn’t his first photo session, and I think it shows! He was always ready to flash that handsome labrador smile, and his soft yellow coloring amongst the bright blues of the water and sky came together to create a to-die-for combination of colors!

Or maybe it was because the beach is Mr Higgins’ happy place. It’s where he and his mom go every week, to relax, unwind, and chase his ball. Oh, the ball – this is Mr. Higgins’ obsession! He can’t be more than a few inches from his ball at all times, and if the waves sweep it out to sea, he’ll swim out there to get it back! He’s fearless! At one point, we wanted a few photos without the ball, so his mom put it in her bag on the sand – and he promptly ran back, dug it out of her bag and brought it back to us! What a goofball!

Whatever the reason(s) may be, I had a fabulous photo session with Mr. Higgins. And in fact, his mom originally wanted to book my 3-hour session, because she wasn’t sure about how he’d do in a more limited time frame – just like many of my clients! But I reassured her that my one-hour session was probably more than enough time, and that’s what we did – and I have a feeling we’re going to end up with plenty of incredible images! :)

 

Here’s the handsome boy! Don’t you love that smile?!

yellow lab beach photo

 

Mr. Higgins was in the water the entire time – he’s practically a fish!

yellow lab in del mar

 

And to top it all off, we saw the kind of sunset I pray for… it was an absolutely perfect evening.

yellow lab sunset beach

 

Carina, thank you so much for introducing me to your handsome boy! He did spectacularly well, and I can’t wait to show you the rest of our photos soon! :)

 

 

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